Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif meets Sri Lanka president & Yunus in New York

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif held separate meetings with chief adviser of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus and President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake and discussed bilateral ties, it was announced Thursday.The meetings were held on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.During Sharif’s “warm and cordial” meeting with Yunus, the two leaders reviewed the current state of Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in diverse areas including trade, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, according to an official statement by Pakistan.Sharif emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to building constructive and forward looking ties with Bangladesh, rooted in mutual respect, trust, and shared aspirations of regional peace and prosperity, it said.During the meeting at the UN Headquarters, Yunus appreciated Pakistan’s initiative to deepen engagement and highlighted the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and cultural linkages.”The meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the mutual commitment of both countries to work together for the well-being of their people and the stability of South Asia,” the statement added.According to another statement, Sharif and Dissanayake meeting, held at Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the UN, covered a wide range of areas, including high level exchanges, bilateral trade, educational cooperation, cultural exchanges, and defence cooperation.